To Each His Own
by Eugene
Summary: Even though everyone walks toward the same destination, the paths they take are unique...
1. Chapter 1: Sasuke's Story

Sasuke's Story…

Sasuke arrived at a clearing after a several day hike.  His own supplies had long since run out and he had little more than roots and small animals to eat for the past couple of days.  Hungry and worn, Sasuke walked forward driven by one single desire.

_Revenge._

For as long as he could remember, Sasuke was focused on just one thing: killing his brother, Uchiha Itachi.  Sasuke saw those blood red eyes glaring at him in his dreams night after night.  Sasuke saw in his mind his brother's hands drenched in blood of their father and mother.  He remembered how Itachi stood over them, expressionless at first, but then smiling and turning to him.  Sasuke's heart cried out for him to do something.  To attack the monster that destroyed his family but he was too scared.  He couldn't move.  He couldn't scream.  He couldn't _do anything_.

For the next eight years, Sasuke was obsessed.  He trained every day.  Trained to exhaustion and beyond.  Then trained some more.  He was driven become strong.  He soon became the best student in his class, and the most powerful rookie genin.  But he didn't care.  He had never cared if he was the strongest.  He only wanted to know that he was _strong enough_—strong enough to kill his brother, strong enough to take revenge, strong enough to do what he couldn't do eight years ago.

Then in the chuunin exams, he met Orochimaru.  Orochimaru had chosen him _because_ he was strong.  Sasuke, Orochimaru had said, could be far stronger than Itachi.  Sasuke wanted that power.  The curse seal Orochimaru left Sasuke with gave him a taste of what he could do.  He wanted more.

Orochimaru returned during the final round of the examination.  Sasuke had been fighting Gaara, a demon in his own right, for the chance to advance in the chuunin exams.  Sasuke had been on the verge of winning when the sand demon within Gaara finally woke up.  Then all hell broke loose.  Orochimaru returned with his own army of shinobis, among them was none other than Itachi.

It had been six years since Sasuke had seen him, but those red eyes that matched the blood on his hands were unmistakable.  Fury consumed him and Sasuke would have attacked Itachi then had Kakashi not stopped him.

The third Hokage had faced down Orochimaru and driven him back but lost his life in the process.  Kakashi, Gai, and the other Jounin had likewise defeated Orochimaru's henchmen.  Itachi on his own had caused much of the destruction, but upon the appearance of the sennin Jiraya and his summoned toad, Gamabunta, he also retreated along with the others.  The Hidden Sand nins were also defeated and Gaara was captured, the demon inside him sealed up once again.

With the chuunin exams terminated prematurely and the third Hokage dead, the village was left in shambles.  Jiraiya took control for a while, along with a committee of jounin, and select chuunin.  Not long thereafter, Tsunade, a student of the Third and a colleague of Jiraiya, arrived in the Hidden Leaf village and officially assumed the title of the Fifth Hokage.  Since her inception, the village began to return to normalcy.  However, things were far from normal for Sasuke.  He began to focus again on Itachi.  He trained every day and night, with Itachi consuming his thoughts and nightmares.  Orochimaru had disappeared and there was no imminent threat to the village.  With no outlet for his anger, Sasuke was nearly driven to insanity.  Sakura became more bothersome than ever, always worrying about him, and expressing those worries to him daily.  Ino chattered incessantly every time she saw him.  Naruto was a big a fool as he had been the first time they met.  Sasuke became more withdrawn then ever until one day, he decided to leave.

There was nothing left in the village for him.  Sasuke knew he had become powerful enough to defeat Itachi on his own.  He was already the most powerful ninja in the village.  His destiny was to defeat Itachi and there was nothing else left for him to do.

Sakura tried to get him to stay, but to no avail.  Kakashi, the Fifth, Jiraiya, and everyone who knew about his plans tried to get him to stay with the same result.  Even Naruto tried to stop him.  Rivals though they were, Sasuke thought if anyone could really understand, it would have been Naruto.  It turned out that no one truly understood the mindset of an avenger.

So, one night, he left.

            Orochimaru's men picked him up immediately, and they agreed to accompany him on his hunt for Itachi.  It appeared that Orochimaru had grown to fear the older Uchiha, and wanted him dead.  It didn't matter to Sasuke either way, because he was going to kill Itachi, regardless of what the missing nin thought.

            It took a while for them to get on Itachi's trail.  He proved to be very resourceful, setting many deadly traps along the way.  Ironically, it was those same traps that kept Sasuke on his older brother's track.  But the others had fallen prey to those traps.  Sasuke was disgusted by the ineptitude of Orochimaru's men.  They had all died before they found Itachi, leaving Sasuke alone as he entered the clearing.

            The clearing was a gap in the middle of a forest.  Tall trees surrounded the area like giant spectators witnessing the fight.  The leaves rustled as Sasuke stepped into the makeshift arena.  A dozen birds took off from their perches with a whisper of a flutter.  Sasuke looked around, but caught no sight of Itachi.  But he was nobody's fool.  Itachi had probably planned since the beginning to drag out the hunt as long as possible, destroying all the other shinobi and tiring Sasuke out before the fight.  He must have realized that the fight was inevitable, and this place was good a place as any.

            "I grow weary of this game, Itachi.  Come out," Sasuke said into the forest.  He knew his brother was hidden somewhere, and he was in no mood to go searching anymore.  This was it.

            Itachi's voice seemed to come to him from all different directions.  "Say it."

            _I didn't know you were so playful, Itachi_.  Sasuke grimaced.  "Ollie ollie outs-in-free," he said.

            Somewhere from the trees, Itachi cackled.  "Just like old times, _little brother_."

            _I'm hardly little, and this is far from the games we used to play when we were children._  Sasuke closed his eyes and concentrated.  When he opened them again, they were blood red, the pupils replaced by the pattern-wheel characteristic of the sharingan eye.

            The curse seal on his neck started to tingle.  For a long time, Sasuke had been able to resist Orochimaru's seal, but its influences became stronger over the past few days.  Ignoring the sensation, he spoke aloud to his brother again.

            "Enough, Itachi.  Come out and fight me."

            A hail of kunai flew at him from every direction.  Already having anticipated such a move, however, Sasuke replaced his body with a log.  Dozens of kunai impaled the piece of wood as Sasuke leaped into the air.

            He hoped to catch a glance of where Itachi might be, but he knew his brother was far too smart to show himself.  With few other options left, he closed his hands together to perform a seal.

            _Mythical Fire Flower!_

            Sasuke blew out several bursts of flame from his mouth at the trees surrounding him.  Itachi would not be able to stand to flames and would be forced to leave his hiding place.  He landed at the center of the clearing, fully expecting Itachi to leap out of the trees.

            So it surprised him greatly when the attack came from the ground below him.

            Itachi's hand's shot up out of the earth and grasped him around the ankles.  Sasuke cursed himself for his stupidity.  He tried to kick out of Itachi's grip, but his older brother was too strong.  Unable to move, he could only watch as another volley of kunai and shuriken flew at him from the trees.

            _I couldn't even land a single blow on him, and he's defeated me already._  Sasuke's hands worked quickly on a seal—any seal—that would block at least a few of the weapons, but he knew it'd be too late.  The air sang as the honed pieces of metal spun toward him from a thousand angles.  He watched as they all found their targets all over his body.  The weapons thudded into his arms and back.  One slammed into his neck, spurting hot blood over his body.  A kunai pierced his eye—_his precious eye!_  One of bigger shuriken flew and sliced through his arm, severing it at the elbow in a spray of blood and flayed muscle.  Sasuke looked down with his remaining eye at his body, covered in its life juices, with more sharp objects sticking out of it than an average porcupine.  Disappointment and anger welled up inside him as he fell to his knees, and he knew the pain would set in as soon as the shock wore off.

            But it didn't.  There was no pain.  There was no burning where the metal had sliced open his skin.  He looked down at his arm where it was severed, but there was no pain there either.  There was nothing—nothing except the cruel, mocking laughter of his brother.

            _What's going on?_  Sasuke thought to himself.  But even before his brain began to stumble around for an answer, everything before his eyes melted away.  The hands that had gripped his ankles disappeared.  The burning trees that surrounded him were replaced by open air, and he realized he wasn't in a clearing in a forest, but on top of a cliff.  The weapons that impaled him were also gone.  There were no cuts on his body.  His arms were both still intact.  Reaching up, he also found that both of his eyes were there as well.

            _Genjutsu!_  The young genin gasped at the realization, but a far worse question loomed in his mind.  _I was watching with _sharingan, _how could it not have picked it up?_

 Sasuke looked up, and saw his brother, Itachi standing there.  It seemed as if he'd always been there, although Sasuke couldn't remember how he got there in the first place.  In fact, Sasuke wasn't certain of how long it had been since he even left the village, or how far he had come.  The backpack he'd brought with him from the village was still on his back.  His fingernails were still dirty, and he was still hungry, but he couldn't remember the last time he ate.  He realized that he couldn't recall when the world around him stopped being real and became an illusion that his older brother wove with his sharingan eye.  In front of him, his brother chuckled softly.

"Did you _really_ think you could kill me?  Is that why you're here?"  Itachi asked.  The older Uchiha's voice scoured Sasuke's already confused and vulnerable mind.  He could feel his older sibling's presence and gaze washed over him like an acid bath.

"I told you already—you're too weak.  Your life was too easy.  You've been screwing around for too long, playing kid games.  I thought your hatred would give you strength enough to kill me," Itachi paused for a barest moment.  "I suppose I might have even been proud if you _were_ strong enough.  But you're not.  You're pathetic."

Itachi's words wreaked havoc with Sasuke's emotions.  All his life, he'd been fighting to gain strength so that he could one day defeat his brother.  He turned away so many people, hurt so many of them, disappointed so many of them.  _Kakashi sensei, Sakura, even Naruto_… and now, Itachi made it sound as if Sasuke was looking for some sort of approval.  Approval from the man he hated.  The same man that killed his entire family—

 "I'm embarrassed that my own brother could be so weak.  You are a disgrace to the Uchiha bloodline, in fact…" Itachi stepped forward and picked Sasuke up by his collar.  His eyes glowed red as the sharingan wheel appeared.  He brought his lips to Sasuke's ear and whispered, "don't _ever_ mention that you're of the Uchiha legacy."

The older Uchiha smirked and drove his fist into his younger brother's gut.  He released his grip and watched the young boy crumple to the ground.  Itachi regarded him as a wolf might regard a skinny rabbit.  Without a word, he turned and walked away, down the hill.

Bile rose in Sasuke's mouth as his stomach throbbed with pain.  The pain in his stomach matched the pulsing in his neck as the curse seal began to invade his body again.  His hatred for his brother and his disgust at himself for wanting his approval exploded in his chest and sent hot blood coursing through his veins.  The curse seal begged to be released and Sasuke did nothing to stop it.  The black markings grew from the three dots on his neck and traced burning red lines all along his body.  The lines seared their way up his face and toward his eyes as Sasuke's mouth curled up in a hideous sneer.  His mind was devoid of any self-control or rational thought.  Instead, clouds of hatred and anger and perverse delight jostled in his mind.  Echoes of his brother's voice thundered faintly in the storm.

_Are you an Avenger, or ain't ya?_

"Who said that?"  Sasuke said aloud, as the pain his neck began to increase.  He felt the dark chakra pump through his veins, like so much molten lead, heavy and burning.

_And burning and burning.  Burning your family.  He killed your family and burned your house down.  So, are you an Avenger or ain't ya?_

_What?  You're not making any sense._  Sasuke answered.  The curse seal had taken over most of his body now, and Sasuke could feel the deliciously seductive power waiting to be used.  The energy filled up his body and poured out his nose and his mouth.  It trickled out of every pore and soaked his body in its forbidden embrace.  It was hot, scalding, just like the time when he was a kid and he went to the hot springs with his father to take a bath, but it was to hot so he couldn't go in, so he waited, and there was steam so he couldn't see his father, or his brother, or anyone else, it was just hot…

_So, are you an Avenger or ain't ya?_

His eyes began to itch and burn.  Sasuke screwed his eyes shut against the pain and dumbly pawed at them.

_Just open your eyes!  Are you an Avenger or ain't—_

_I am!_  Sasuke shrieked silently and forced his eyes open.  His eyes were blood red and the sharingan wheel was spinning furiously.  Dark chakra filled every fiber of his being, every bone in his body, every muscle, every cell.

"Itachi!" Sasuke shouted at his brother.

The older Uchiha had already sensed the tremendous spike in chakra and stopped his decent from the mountaintop.  He turned and stared back at his younger brother, his head tilted to one side.

Without waiting for any sort of a reply, Sasuke hurled a kunai toward Itachi and sprinted in the same direction.  The curse seal dramatically improved his speed as Sasuke reached Itachi well before the kunai did.  As Itachi reacted to the kunai, Sasuke appeared behind his brother.  Itachi deflected the weapon but his eyes widened in shock as Sasuke drove his knee into Itachi's back.  Sasuke retreated half a step and crouched low to the ground before exploding forward, tackling Itachi with his shoulder.

The impact drove Itachi several yards up the hill.  Sasuke didn't wait to press his advantage.  Leaping into the air, he performed a series of seals and brought his right hand to his lips and breathed out a large stream of fire, forcing Itachi further up the hill, toward the edge of the cliff.

Sasuke gasped as pain racked his entire body and every muscle screamed.  He knew he couldn't let the battle carry on any longer.  Concentrating, he performed a simple seal.  At that moment, a half dozen kunai thudded into his body.  However, Sasuke had already performed _kawamiri no jutsu_ and replaced his body with a log.

The air was filled with the sound of a thousand birds chirping.  Itachi looked around in confusion as the sound began to grow louder.  Soon, his eyes settled on the source of the sound, coming from inside the inferno that his younger brother created.

Knowing that he had little time, Sasuke began concentrating chakra to his hand long before he landed.  Using the flames as cover, he continued to gather chakra and started charging toward his enemy.  Aided by the curse seal and the chakra boost that it provided, Sasuke's left hand soon began to crackle with energy.  Holding his hand by his side, he increased his attack speed and burst out of the fire.

Sasuke sped toward his nemesis, relishing the look of shock on his face.  Much like a devil out hell, the ends of his clothing were smoldering from the fire and a cloud of smoke marked his trail.  In a blur of smoke, fire, and lightning, Sasuke closed the distance between him and Itachi more quickly than anyone imagined possible.

Still moving impossibly fast, Sasuke drove his left hand into Itachi's stomach and a pained grunt and the warm sticky liquid pouring over his arm let him know that he had struck his mark, not a mere clone.  Wrapping his right arm around his older brother in a hideous parody of hug, he continued to the charge, right to the edge of the cliff, all the way grinning crazily at his brother.  The momentum of the charge drove both Uchiha's off the edge.

It wasn't long before the curse seal took its toll and every muscle in Sasuke's body clenched up.  He let out a grunt through gritted teeth.  _This is it_, he thought.  _There's nothing I can do to save myself even if I wanted to.  At least I'm taking Itachi with me_.  He glared up at his brother's face, wanting to see defeat and fear in his eyes.  But only a mask of odd calm stared back at him.  Sasuke thought that to be strange, but by then, there was not enough left of his rational mind to even consider an answer.  

Soon thereafter, there was no thought at all.

  



	2. Chapter 2: Lee's Story

Lee's Story…

            Rock Lee had just finished putting on his gown when he heard the knock at the door.  When he turned around, the nurse opened the door slightly and peeked in.

            "Lee-san, Miss Tenten is here to see you," the attending nurse said.

            Lee smiled and nodded.  "Please, let her in."

            The nurse moved aside and Tenten walked in.  She had been his teammate for over two years now.  For over two years, they trained, studied, ate, and worked together.  She often joked that she saw more of Lee and Gai sensei and Neji than she did her own family.  Her specialty was in weapons.  It would be disrespectful to Tenten to say that she was a good shinobi.  As a weapons specialist, her talents with the average kunai far exceeded what even Sasuke could do.  Her control over her weapons and her creativity to use them to compliment her excellent ninjutsu and genjutsu made her a not only a great female ninja, but also one of the most deadly of any shinobi in the Leaf village.  While in terms of pure strength Lee was more powerful than she was, he was still jealous of her talents in ninjutsu and genjutsu.  Because Lee specialized exclusively in taijutsu, they never competed against each other.  As a result of that lack of competition, she became a closer friend to him than anyone else.

            Tenten didn't say anything as she walked in.  She kept her eyes on the ground as she moved to the white hospital bed in the room.  She sat down on the edge of the bed and closed her hands together in her lap.

            "Hello, Tenten."

            The young woman looked at the bedside table and at the single sakura blossom in the vase.

            "Is that from Sakura-san?"

            Lee smiled and shrugged.  "I don't know for sure, but I'd like to think that it is."

            "Lee," Tenten looked into Lee's eyes.  "How're you doing?"

            "I'm fine."

            "Lee, you don't have to do that," she said.

            "Do what?"

            Tenten reached up and took Lee's hand in hers.  "We've been teammates for two years, and we've been friends for even longer than that.  I know you, and I know how scared you are right now.  You don't have to be brave for me."

            Lee sighed.  "Listen, Tenten.  I'm not going to lie to you and say that this is easy for me, or that I'm not scared.  It isn't, and I am.  But I know I'm also ready.  In that way, I am fine, and you don't have to worry for me."  Lee sat down on the bed beside Tenten.

            "This is something that I _have _to do.  It doesn't matter whether I'm scared or not.  I just have to be ready."

            "But why?"  Tears glistened in Tenten's eyes and her voice wavered.  "Why do you have to do this?  I know you said that your goal was to become a great shinobi, even if you can't use ninjutsu.  But the truth is, you've already done that.  Everyone who saw you fight Gaara in the chuunin exams, everyone who even heard about it, and anyone who knows you at all—they all know that you're already as great and brave a shinobi as anyone in this village.  So why are you putting your life in danger like this?  What do you have left to prove?"  Tears rolled down her face freely now and she began to sob.  "I just can't sit here and let you risk your life like this."

            Lee smiled genuinely and put his arm around Tenten's shoulder.  "I'm glad that you care about me.  But I have to do this.  Gai sensei once told me that being a shinobi is more than just being able to fight.  It's the willingness to sacrifice your life to protect the ones precious to you.  And I can't do that if I'm stuck like this for the rest of my life."  Lee shook Tenten's shoulders to get her attention.  "Do you remember when we were kids?  We were playing ninja and we had to use ninjutsu to hide ourselves.  I tried so hard do _bunshin-no-jutsu_, but I couldn't, so I couldn't play games with you guys.

            "I've come too far to give up on my dreams now."  Lee pulled Tenten in closer to him and hugged her tightly and continued. "Tsunade-same told me that there's a fifty percent chance that I might die.  But if I don't do this, then separating myself from this life as a shinobi… that's like death, too.  Can you understand?"  

            After a moment, Tenten pulled away and looked at him with eyes still moist.  "Yes, Lee.  I understand."  She sniffled.  "I'm still worried, but I understand.  And I'll be here for you.  Good luck."

            "That's good.  I want you to be here for me."  Lee gave her his famous smile and wink.  "And as for luck—well, I'm moved by a force much greater than just luck."

            Tsunade washed her hands in the basin in preparation for the surgery.  While she knew that such surgery was entirely possible, she had never personally performed anything of that difficulty.  The risk was high.  There was a fifty percent chance that the surgery would prove useless, _even if_ she did everything right.

            Conventional medical wisdom stated that such surgery was only worth doing if the patient couldn't get any worse as a result of the surgery or if the success of the surgery was a medical breakthrough.  Neither was true in this case.  It was very likely that Lee could die.  And while the surgery was rarity and would be very difficult, it wouldn't revolutionize medicine in any way.  But still…

            Lee and his sensei, Gai, both knew what the risks were.  Yet, they were willing to risk death to prove a point.  For Lee, with his blind determination, the choice must have been obvious.  It would have been difficult to make, but obvious nonetheless.  But Gai was risking a life that wasn't his to risk.  How difficult must if have been for him to advise Lee to choose the surgery— all to teach his student the meaning of becoming a shinobi.  Although it must have pained him to do so, Gai chose the surgery, and at the same time, took responsibility for Lee's life.

            _You're a better person than I am, Gai, to be able to take such responsibility for another life._

            Tsunade finished getting ready and walked out into the hallway.  Gai was waiting for her outside the operating room.

            "Gai, before we walk into that room, I want you to understand to full risks of this operation.  Even if I am su—

            "Tsunade-sama, I am fully aware of the risks, as is Lee.  This is the choice we made, and we won't back down from it."

            _I won't go back on my word.  That is my ninja way._

            Tsunade smiled.  "Of course.  I wouldn't have it any other way."  She opened the door to the operating room.  "Wish us luck, Gai."

            "Tsunade-sama, we have a force much greater that mere luck on our side."  Gai smiled and gave his characteristic thumbs-up sign.

            Tenten walked with Lee to the operating room.  He gave her a thumbs-up and a smile.  She watched him go in.

            _Few people in the village are as brave as you are Lee.  If heaven has any sense of justice, then this operation will be a breeze._

            She turned around and walked down the hallway to the waiting room.  When she got there, the sight of Sakura at the door surprised her.

            "Sakura, what are you doing here?"

            The girl with the big forehead and pink hair smiled weakly.  "Sasuke is gone and Naruto's looking for him.  Kakashi-sensei is also on a mission.  Lee saved my life once.  I thought this is the least I could do for him," she said.

            "Well, I'm sure Lee will be very happy to see you here."  Tenten said.

            "Hey, hey!  Did Lee-san start his surgery yet?"

            Tenten and Sakura turned to the new voice and saw Ino running down the hallway.

            "Ino, you're here, too?" Sakura asked.

            Ino shrugged.  "Well, my team's out on a mission and I was bored, so I thought I come down and show Lee my support."  She stared back at Sakura.  "Shouldn't you be worrying about Sasuke right about now?"

            Instead of retaliating, Sakura just looked down at the floor.

            "Listen, I'm sorry, Sakura," Ino said.  "I didn't mean…"

            Sakura shook her head.  "No, it's okay.  Naruto promised he'd bring Sasuke back.  Besides, he's not here right now.  Lee is.  And I'm here for him."

            Sound of footsteps interrupted the girls.  Hinata was walking down the hallway.

            "Hinata!  You came!"  Tenten said.

            "Of course."  Hinata smiled.  "I heard about the operation, and I thought it would be nice to be here to support Lee."

            Tenten mirrored her smile.  "Good.  Lee will be glad."

            Gai sensei's booming laughter filled the hallway.  "Lee will be very happy to see the Leaf's four prettiest flowers here to support him."

            Tenten and the girls bowed toward the eccentric sensei.  "Hello, Gai-sensei."

            "It's no surprise that my protégé would be so popular with the girls."  Gai laughed proudly.

            Sakura smiled while Hinata blushed.  "We're all here to wish Lee luck."

            Gai shook his head slowly.  "I don't know how many times I have to say it.  We have a force greater than luck on our side."

            Tenten raised an eyebrow.  "Lee said the same thing.  What does that mean?"

            The older half of the Leaf's brightest duo winked.

            "Faith," he said, as he opened the door to the waiting room.

            Inside, the room was filled with dozens of people, from genin to jounin, regardless of rank or age.

            Tenten gasped.  "Gai-sensei, are they all…"

            "Here for Lee?  Yes."  Pride filled Gai's voice.  "They're all here to cheer on the bravest shinobi in Konoha."

            In the operating room, Lee lie on his stomach, with his head resting upon a pillow.  Tsunade walked over to him and bent down so she could see him eye to eye.  As far as she could see, there was no fear on the young ninja's face, but she knew he was extremely nervous.

            "Ready?" Tsunade asked.

            Lee nodded, but a tremor in his voice belied his anxiety.  "Yes, Hokage-sama."

            Tsunade smiled bravely at him.  "You'll be fine."

            She gently kissed the boy on the forehead, causing him to blush.  Before Lee could say anymore, the beautiful sennin caressed the back of his neck, putting him into a deep sleep.  She straightened up and faced the other medics in the room.

            "All right.  Let's get started."

            The Fifth Hokage concentrated chakra to her eyes and focused on Lee's spine.  The technique was not very far removed in its origin from the Hyuga Byakugan.  Although she could not see the chakra vessels and opening points, nor did she have a 360-degree field of vision, Tsunade still could choose what she would or wouldn't see.  In _this_ case, she needed to see the spinal column, where much of the damage was done.  Her vision shifted and she could see through the flesh and muscles to the spinal column, and there she saw exactly what she expected.

            Little bits and pieces of bone had chipped away from the walls of the spinal column.  Some of them were lodged in the cartilage between each segment of the spine—the gliding joints.  Some of them floated freely through the spinal fluid.  Still others, and those causing most concern, floated dangerously close to the spinal cord, threatening to slice into the delicate nerves that lie there.  The problem was threefold.  First, the pieces stuck in the joints restricted full movement of the spine.  Second, the pieces closest to the spinal cord, if they cut into the nerves themselves, could cause irreparable paralysis.  And third, the pieces floating around could dislodge even more pieces from the walls of the columns.

            The tasks were clear.  Tsunade would have to go through and pick up all the loose pieces of bone and return them to their original spots, much like a jigsaw puzzle—one with _very_ small pieces, some smaller than the eye could see.  Then, she'd have to remove the pieces lodged in the cartilage and replace those as well.  She'd have to check for any actual nerve damage, but she doubted there would be any; Lee hadn't shown any signs of paralysis or loss of motion due to nerve damage.  Finally, she'd have to reinforce the linings of the walls with chakra, to assure that the pieces wouldn't come loose again.

            In the simplest sense, it was just a clean up job.  However, simple did not mean easy.

            Tsunade, the medical specialist, and the best of her kind, took a deep breath and went to work.  She began first by collecting chakra to her hands.  Since she could not physically go into Lee's spine and work, she needed the chakra to manipulate the pieces of bone.  Such a task didn't require much chakra, but Tsunade _did_ need minute control.  The greatest difficulty lie in concentration, not power.

            After concentrating sufficient energy to her hands, she placed them at the small of Lee's back.  _I might as well start from bottom to top_, she thought.  After a moment of deliberation, Tsunade decided on the best course of action.  Stretching out with her senses, Tsunade spread out little threads of chakra—hundreds of them—and meshed them into a fine web.  She sent out small tendrils of chakra along the walls, sensing the tiny divots and potholes where the bone chipped away.  With the web, she swept across the spinal fluid like a fisherman drags along a fishing net.  The pieces of bone were too small to distinguish by eye.  Instead of trying to determine their shape by looking at them, Tsunade decided to get a feel for their mold.  The errant pieces of bone all got caught in the web, making indents of their outline.  Tsunade carefully examined each piece, the imprint it made in the chakra-web and matched them with the holes in the walls.  Then, she selected the ones that fit and placed them to their respective niches.

            Half an hour had passed, and she had completed only the first segment.

            The danger of such an operation was how the procedure would take.  Already, the time spent was too long compared to the progress.  At this rate, Tsunade would need the entire day to repair the length of the spine.  Sooner or later, fatigue would become a factor.  While Tsunade wasn't worried about running out of chakra, maintaining such a high level of control would take a toll mentally.  It didn't help that the task, as difficult as it was, would also be unbelievably _tedious_.  Tsunade shuddered at the prospect of repeating the process twenty-six more times.

            _But still, I can't give up.  Gai and Lee are counting on me.  They believe in me even though it's more likely that I won't succeed.  They believe in me because they have no choice otherwise._

            Tsunade recalled the first time she'd met Naruto, when he bet all his money that he'd learn the Rasengan in a week, even though the Fourth Hokage himself had needed over three years to learn the same technique.  Still, he made that bet with no doubt in his mind.  There was no consideration of failure because failure was not an option.

            Gai and Lee had made the same bet, and assumed responsibility for it with their lives.  Still, they refused to even consider what would happen if the operation was unsuccessful.  There was only one way to achieve their _nindo_, and they followed with fierce courage and determination.

            _'Someday, I'm going to become like grandpa and inherit the Hokage name.  That is my dream.'_

_            'An idol that protects everyone—that is Hokage, my dream.'_

_            'I really want to succeed the Hokage name, and I will, because that is my dream.'_

_            'Everything in my life was to prove that someone like me can become a respectable ninja.  That is my dream.'_

            _Nawaki, Dan_…_ now Naruto and Lee_…_ I _am_ the Fifth Hokage, and I will do everything in my power to protect your dreams_…

            Tenten sat next to Gai-sensei in the waiting room.  The operation began at ten in the morning, and it was well past midnight.  The villagers had left a long time ago, some staying longer than others, but all of them eventually having business of their own to take care of.  Most of them had been thoughtful enough to say some words of encouragement to Gai and Tenten before they retired for the night.

            Half-empty containers of ramen, rice, and other meals, supplied to them by the local restaurant, Ichiraku, were left forgotten on the small tables.  Tenten had tried to finish her meal, but simply couldn't get up enough of an appetite, despite the delicious food.  Gai-sensei had likewise failed to finish his meals, so worried was he of Lee's condition.

            Tenten glanced out the window at the dark night.  The entire day became undistinguishable in her mind.  It just became a blur of sounds and emotions.  The room was filled with energy and anticipation early on, but as the day and the operation continued, all the emotion had faded.  Excited and continuous chatter became intermittent and hushed, as if a blanket had been placed over the room to smother the sounds.  Tenten spoke with the girls at first—with Gai-sensei unavailable for comments other than "sure" and "maybe"—but even that diminished to subdued monosyllabic exchanges.  She couldn't even remember what they had talked about.  They carried on the conversation half-heartedly, dismissing most of what was said as inconsequential.  As the day turned to night, the positive atmosphere shifted to quiet introspection and feelings of doubt.

            So in the end, there were only three of them left, Tenten, Gai, and Sakura.  The pink-haired girl from Team Seven sat opposite Gai and Tenten.  The day's exhaustion had taken its toll on her as well—she gave up trying to stay awake and lay on her side across three seats, her head resting on her hands, and dozed off.  Tenten was surprised that the other girl had stayed so long.  As far as she knew, Sakura had eyes only for Uchiha Sasuke, as many other girls did.  Although Tenten found Sasuke to be attractive—and she could fondly reminisce about the times _she_ had hopeless crushes—she was never really interested in him.  Immune as she was, she categorized all the other girls who bought into the whole mysterious prodigy allure as airheads.  She had likewise assumed that Sakura was just another superficial girl.  But seeing her like this gave Tenten a whole new perspective about the younger kunoichi.  It was clear that Sakura's interest in Sasuke wasn't as transient as the other girls, but she also showed genuine concern for Lee's well being.  Instead of pining over Sasuke's return—which to this point seemed uncertain, even hopeless—she chose instead to support Lee and care for him, even though it would not be the same way she cared for Sasuke.  This added a depth to her, and made Tenten realize that Sakura's passion for Sasuke was rooted in something deeper than a mere adolescent crush.

            Tenten screwed her eyes shut against the fatigue that burned them.  Rubbing away the tears that leaked out, she shook her head and brushed loose hair away from her face.  She walked over to wear Sakura was sleeping and shook her gently.

            "Sakura," she said quietly.  When the pink haired kunoichi opened her still-heavy eyelids, she continued, "It's really late.  You should go home."

            The younger girl gave her a drowsy half-smile.  "Is the operation over?"

            Tenten shook her head.  "Not yet.  That's why I'm saying you should head back."

            Sakura wiped sleep from her eyes and pushed herself up on one arm.  "No, it's okay.  I've already stayed this long.  I might as well stay until the end."

            There was really no reason for Tenten to ask this next question, but she couldn't restrain herself.  "But, why?"  When the other girl raised an eyebrow, she elaborated.  "I mean, you haven't even known him for that long.  No one's making you stay.  So…"

            Sakura stared at the hospital floor and smiled sadly.  "What else am I going to do?  If I stay home, all I'll be doing is worrying about Sasuke.  What's the point?  Even if he needs help—my help, even—there's nothing I can do for him now.  I've asked Naruto to bring him back, and all I can do, all I _should_ do, is just be patient and wait.

            "My energy is better spent here.  Orochimaru and the Sand-nin have left a mess here with their stupid war.  We all need to support each other.  I may not be able to be there for Sasuke, but I _can_ be _here_ for Lee.  Besides, I owe him a lot, and he'd do the same for me."

            Tenten nodded.  "I understand, and I'm grateful.  I'm sure Lee will be excited, too.  But won't your parents worry?"

            Sakura crinkled her nose and chuckled.  "My parents know where I am.  They're even relieved that I'm finally getting out of the house, instead of moping around, obsessing over Sasuke.  My mother says it's unattractive, even."

            The girl's conversation was interrupted by the opening of the door.  Gai-sensei jerked around and the girls were likewise startled.  At the doorway, Tsunade-sama leaned against the frame.  Her hands were trembling and faint wrinkles at the corners of her usually youthful face belied her fatigue.  When she looked at them, tears glistened in her eyes.

            "Tsunade-sama."  Gai said.  "Is…is he…" His voice was choked off, as he couldn't bring himself to finish the question.

            Tenten stood from her seat and walked over to sit next to her sensei and took his hand in hers and braced herself for the answer.

            Tsunade didn't speak, but merely shook her head from side to side.

            Tears welled up in Tenten's eyes, but it was Sakura who spoke.

            "Did the operation go well?" she asked.

            A heavy sigh escaped the Hokage's lips.  "From a structural point, the operation was a success."

            _What does that mean?_ Tenten asked silently.  Her lips were frozen in their place and she couldn't have asked out loud even if she wanted to.  Instead, it was Sakura who spoke up again.

            "What does that mean, exactly?  Is Lee okay?"

            "I was able to get all the loose pieces of bone and put them back in their spots.  There were some pieces, a lot, actually, which were lodged in his neural network, and I was able to get those, too.  But removing them must have shocked his nervous system."  Tsunade's next words were almost too quiet to hear.  "He's in a coma.  If he doesn't wake up in the next 24 hours, he will die."


End file.
